Means for punching



Jan. 1l, 1966 D. DANlELs 3,228,227

w O e? N VY r N' A /'ar ed May 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. l1, 1966D. DANIELS MEANS FOR PUNGHING Filed May 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O 5 co8 Y wlp IIII o g Ll' m (E Q g $2 LL E 5 9 S a a L? uw eo Si 79" I g I Q.,LQ |.L.L.. *L r LO co Q \IQ u. 'G am fg g R 1\\ f f\ oo a Q DINVENTOR.

DENNIS DANIELS L/AQ,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,228,227 MEANS FOR PUNCHING DennisDaniels, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to Houdaille Industries, Inc.,Budalo, NX., a corporation of Michigan Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No.194,485 8 Claims. (Cl. 72-324) This invention relates generally topunching apparatus of the unitized or sub-press type, and morespecifically to an improved means for making knock-out structures.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included invarious devices of the unitized or sub-press type of punch, aparticularly useful application is made in a punching apparatus which isadapted to construct knock-out structures in a sheet of material. Inparticular, when such devices have been previously provided, they havebeen characterized yby their use of a relatively large number ofcomponents to make up the same.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of an extremely smallnumber of parts, several of which may be fabricated from the sameoriginal part or blank part. The present invention further contemplatesthat the punch* ing device be of the self powered type so that noexternal ram is needed to operate the same.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved punching apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a punchingapparatus which employs a minimum number of parts.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a means forfabricating knock-out structures.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the presentinvention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon makingreference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets ofdrawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating theprinciples of the present invention is shown by way of illustrativeexample.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a punching apparatusprovided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURES 2-4 are enlarged fragmentary views, partly diagrammatic,illustrating the sequence of operations of the elements of the structureof FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of a slightly modified form of theinvention shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view, partly diagrammatic, illustrating theoperation of the device of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a knock-out structure provided in afragmentarily illustrated sheet of material by the apparatus of FIGURE5.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodiedin a punching unit such as illustrated in FIGURE 1, generally indicatedby the numeral 10. The punching unit 10 includes a rigid frame 11 whichsupports an upper fluid actuator operating head 12 and a lower fluidactuator operating head 13.

The frame 11 is here illustrated as being of the unitary or C-frame typeand includes an upper arm 14 and a lower arm 15. The arms 14 and 15 arerespectively provided with an upper reaction surface 16 and a lowerreaction 3,228,227 Patented Jan. 1l, 1966 surface 17 against which rigidreaction means schematically indicated at 18 and 19 may react. The arms14 and 15 are respectively provided with fluid passages 20 and 21 eachadapted to be connected to a source of pressurized fluid. At their otherends, the fluid passages 20 and 21 respectively communicate with theoperating heads 12 and 13. A further line 22 is also adapted tobe'connected to a source of fiuid pressure, and divides as illustrated,and communicates with both of the operating heads 12 and 13. The upperarm 14 has a side 23 which is opposite to the reaction surface 16, andagainst which the operating head 12 is disposed. Similarly, the lowerarm 15 has a side 24 which is opposite to the reaction surface 17, andagainst which the operating head 13 is disposed.

The upper operating head 10 includes a cylinder 2S and a piston 26disposed within a chamber 27 in the cylinder 25. The piston is providedwith a seal such as an O-ring 28 which divides the chamber 27 into twoseparate subchambers, the upper one of which communicates with thepassage 20, and the lower one of which communicates with the line 22.The operating head 10 further includes a piston rod 29, the samecomprising in this embodiment an integral part of the piston 26, and atool which in this embodiment comprises a punch 30 integral with thepiston rod 29. At the opposite end of the cylinder 25, there is providedan annular portion 31 which is received within an annular groove in theside 23 of the upper arm 14, there 4being a sealing gasket 32 at thebottom of the groove. The cylinder 25 is secured to the upper arm 14 bya number of screws such as the screw 33 illustrated in the lower arm 15extending into the lower operating head 13. The upper cylinder 25further includes a rod-end 34 which has a lower surface 35 whichcomprises a stripping surface into which an aperture opens, the aperturebeing defined by guide means 36 which serve as a guide for the rod 29and punch 30. As explained below, the guide means 36 also comprises astationary die. The rod-end 34 of the cylinder 25 is also provided withan O-ring 37 which seals the lower part of the chamber 27 by actingbetween the rod-end 34 of the cylinder 25 and the piston rod 29.

The lower actuator head 13 similarly includes a cylinder 38 having achamber 39 within which is disposed a piston 40. Connected to the piston40, such as integrally, is a rod 41, and connected to the rod 41, suchas integrally, is a tool 42 which here thus comprises a liuidly drivenpunch. The chamber 39 is sealed at its lower end by a gasket 43 and atits upper end by a gasket 44 which comprises an O-ring, the chamber 39being divided into two sub-chambers by an O-ring 45 in the piston 40.Thus the upper part of the chamber 39 communicates with the line 22, andthe lower part communicates with the passage 21. The cylinder 38 has arod-end 46 having an outer upwardly directed surface 47 which normallysupports a workpiece W as shown. The support surface 47 is intersectedby an aperture defined by guide means 48 which guide the rod 41 and thetool or punch 42. The guide means 48 also comprise the main die of thisembodiment.

While the tools or punches 30 and 42 are normally both movable, undercertain circumstances, it may be 4desired to move only one of them,whereby one or the other may also comprise stationary tooling. Theyworking ends of the tools 30 and 42 are complementally shapedthroughout the area defined by their cutting edges so as to be able tocoact jointly with each other on a portion of the workpiece W. To thisend, the instant tools 30 and 42 are provided with an undulatedperiphery wherein undulations of the tool .30 extend both -below thesurface 35 and up into the guide means 36 whereby a portion of the edgeof the guide means 36 at such point serves as a die.

In order to operate the punching unit 10, fluid pressure is firstapplied to the line 22 to retract the pistons 26 and 40 to the positionsillustrated in FIGURE 1 for insertion of the workpiece W. Thereafter,uid pressure is admitted only to the passage 20 which moves the piston26 downwardly as shown in FIGURE 2, thereby expelling fluid from theline 22. This movement continues until the punch 30 coacting with thedie or guide means 48 punches a slug S out of the workpiece W as shownin FIGURE 2. It is to be noted that the slug breaks entirely free andout of the workpiece W before the slug engages the tool 42. Furthermovement of the punch 30 causes it to coact with the punch 42 to formthe slug S into any desired shape. Since the tool 30 can enter the dieor guide means 48, it is evident that there must be the usual toolclearances therebetween. The forming operation performed on the slug Sis thus carried out at a location where the slug S is surrounded bytooling which is slightly larger than the punch which created it. It hasbeen found that the forming operation and/or continued downward pressureon the slug S by the punch 30 causes a slight growth in the over-allsize of the slug S without materially reducing its thickness.

When the operation diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 2 has beencompleted, pressure is released from the passage 20 and is applied tothe passage 21 which effects an upward movement of the piston 40 and thetool 42, thereby raising the slug S, the workpiece W which is clingingto the outside of the punch 30, and the punch 30. Fluid expelled fromthe chamber 39 passes into the lower portion of the chamber 27, and theraising of the piston 26 expells fluid from the passage 20. The upwardmovement continues until the workpiece W engages the stripping surface35, at which the movement of the workpiece W is arrested. Continuedmovement in the upward direction driven by the piston 40' and the rod 41causes the slug S to be reseated in the aperture in the workpiece Wwhich constitutes its point of origin. The extent of such reseating isdetermined by the effective length of the combined piston 26, rod 29,and tool 30. In this embodiment, that length has been so selected thatthe central portion of the slug S has been returned to a position whereit is coplanar with the workpiece W, whereby the various undulations inthe slug S project from opposite sides of the sheet of material thatconstitutes the workpiece W. During the reseating operation, the punch42 and the die 36 serves as an assembling punch and die. Thereafter, thefluid pressure at the passage 21 is released and pressure is applied tothe line 22 to return the components to the position illustrated inFIGURE l. If the workpiece W should tend to stick with a portion of theslug S projecting into the die 36, such tendency can be minimized oravoided by removing an extremely small amount of material from the dieor guide means 36 immediately adjacent to the surface 35, the same beingillustrated in FIGURE 4 in an exaggerated manner.

Where it is desired to construct a knock-out structure such as shown inFIGURE 7, the device of FIGURE 1 may be slightly modified for suchpurpose. Referring to FIGURE 7, there is disclosed a sheet of materialwhich comprises a workpiece W having a central slug C coplanar with theworkpiece W, and an annular slug A of undulated form disposedtherebetween. The undulated annular slug A has portions or undulationswhich extend alternately above and below the surfaces of the sheet oflmaterial that comprises the workpiece W. It is evident that where thecentral slug and the annular slug comprise a unitary piece, thestructure of FIGURE 1 may be utilized to construct the same. However,where these slugs are defined by a complete line of severancetherebetween, the punches, rods, and pistons of the FIGURE 1 form mustbe made hollow axially to provide internal guide and die means therein.Such a modification of the FIGURE 1 structure is illustrated in FIGURE5.

The punching unit of FIGURE 5 is generally indicated at 49 and includesa frame 50 having a rigid upper arm 51 on which there is an upwardlydirected reaction surface 52 for engaging outside rigid reaction meansschematically indicated at 53. The upper arm 51 has a fluid passage 54which communicates with a fiuid actuator operating head 55 which issecured to a side 56 of the arm opposite to the reaction surface 52.

In like manner, the frame 50 further includes a rigid lower arm 57having a downwardly directed reaction surface 58 engageable withexternal outside reaction means schematically indicated at 59. The arm57 further includes a passage 60 which communicates with a lower fiuidactuator operating head 61 secured to a side 62 of the arm 57 oppositeto the reaction surface 58. The operating heads 55 and 61 also havemeans for connecting each of them to a common pressure line 63.

The upper operating head 55 includes a chamber 64 within which there isdisposed an axially hollow piston 65 having an integral axially hollowrod 66 to which there is secured, such as integrally, a tool 67, whichhere comprises an annular fiuidly reciprocably driven punch, the innerperiphery or edge of which also serves as a die as explained below. Thechamber 64 is defined primarily by a cylinder 68 which has a rod-end 69terminating in an outer cylinder surface 70 which extends up to andadjacent to the tool 67, and in which there is provided a recess whichdefines an external guide member 71 to guide the rod 66 or punch 67, thefixed guide 71 also serving to define the outer edge portion of anannular die. The operating head 55 further includes a further fixedguide means 72 secured to the upper arm 51 and extending through thepiston 65, rod 66, and tool or punch 67, and terminating at its lowerend in a support face 73 coplanar with the surface 70 and servingtherewith as a stripping surface. The guide means 72 is thus fixed andthe outer periphery of the member 72 adjacent to the surface 73 servesas an internal guide member for the rod 66 and tool 67, and also definesthe inner edge portion of an annular die along with the guide means 71,and still further also serves as a fixed punch as explained below.Suitable seals, such as O-rings and gaskets are provided for theoperating heads 55 and 61 as explained for FIG- URE 1, these furtherincluding a seal 74 of the O-ring type to prevent leakage along thestationary central guide member 72. The interior of the hollow pistonrod 66 on the low pressure side of the O-ring 74 may be vented as at 75.

The lower operating head 61 similarly includes a cylinder 76 defining achamber 77 within which is disposed an axially hollow piston 78 havingan integral axially hollow rod 79 to which is secured a tool 80, thetool 80 here comprising a fluidly reciprocably driven annular punchwhich also serves as a movable die. Similarly, the cylinder 76 isprovided with a rod-end 81 having a workpiece supporting surface 82intersected by guide means 83 which externally guide the rod 79 or punch80, which means 83 define the outer portion of an annular die, beinggenerally similar to the guide means 71. The operating head 61 furtherincludes an internal fixed guide member 84 secured to the lower arm 57and terminating at its upper end in a support face 85, the outerperiphery of which is defined by means which serve as an internal fixedguide for the punch 80, and rod 79, which serve as a fixed punch, andwhich further serve to define the inner edge portion of an annular diealong with the means 83. The support face or backup surface 85 iscoplanar with the outer adjacent surface 82 on the cylinder 76.

The working ends or faces of the tools 67 and 80 are complemental toeach other and are shaped to form opposite sides of the annular slug Aof FIGURE 7.

The operation of this unit is the same as that described for FIGURE l.Pressure is admitted to the line 63 which retracts the portions 65 and78 to the position illustrated to enable the admission of a workpiece Wsupported on the surface 82. Thereafter, this pressure is released and ahigh working pressure is applied to the passage 54 thereby advancing thepiston 65 so that the annular punch 67 passes through the workpiece W,and coacts with the annular die defined at 83 to create an annular slugA. Further advancement of the piston 65 causes the working ends of thetools 67 and 80 to bend or form the annular slug A to the desiredconfiguration wherein itis slightly enlarged on its outside diameter andformed to a slightly reduced hole size at its inside diameter. Duringthis operation, the guide member 84 served as a punch along with theinside diameter of the annular punch 67 which then served as a die tothereby create the slug C which is forced upwardly into the hollow punchor die 67.

Thereafter, pressure is relieved from the passage 54 and admitted to thepassage 60 to effect raising of the pistons 78 and 65 jointly with theannular slug A trapped therebetween, with the workpiece W clinging tothe outside of the punch 67, and with the central slug C clinging to theinterior to the punch 67, all as illustrated in FIG- URE 6. This upwardmovement continues until the workpiece W engages the stripping surface70 and the central slug C engages the support face 73. Further upwardmovement of the annular punch 80 drives the annular slug A into theworkpiece W and around the central slug C, pushing the punch 67 ahead ofit as it goes. The extent of such movement is limited by the effectivelength of the punch 67 determinedby bottoming of its piston 65.Thereafter, pressure is relieved from the passage 60 and applied to theline 63 to return the annular punches to the position illustrated inFIGURE 5 as described previously. In view of the undulations in theannular member or slug A, some portions thereof extend upwardly abovethe plane of the surfaces 70 and 73 whereby the fixed annular diedefined therebetween coacts with the punch 80 to serve as an assemblingpunch and die.

It is thus evident that the central plug C and the annular slug A arefirst blanked by punching, and that thereafter the annular slug isformed such as with undulations, its outside diameter being increasedand its inside diameter being decreased while the same is entirelydetached from both the central slug C and the workpiece W. Further, itis evident that thereafter the annular slug A is reseated after havingbeen formed, with its undulations extending out of the surfaces of theworkpiece W to a partial extent, and that the slugs C and A are returnedto their point of origin.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versedin the art, it should be understood that I wish to e-mbody within thescope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonablyand properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A punching unit comprising:

(a) a frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lower armdisposed in xed spaced relation to each other;

(b) an upwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of said upperarm and a downwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of saidlower arm, each of said surfaces being disposed to be reacted on by astationary outside means;

(c) a cylinder iixedly secured to one of said arms and having a chambertherein adapted to be connected to a fluid pressure supply;

(d) a piston reciprocably disposed in said chamber;

(e) a rod secured to said piston and extendible outwardly of saidcylinder, the outer end of said rod comprising a tool iiuidly driven bysaid piston;

(f) a fixed position tool supported `by the other of said arms; and

(g) one of said tools comprising a punch, and the other of said toolscomprising a die coactive with said punch to alter the configuration ofa workpiece.

2. A punching unit comprising:

(a) a rigid frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lowerarm;

(b) an upwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of said upperarm and a downwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of saidlower arm, each of said surfaces being disposed to be reacted on by astationary outside means;

(c) a pair of cylinders respectively iixedly secured in a stationaryposition to said stationary arms, each of Vsaid cylinders having achamber therein adapted to be individually connected to a fiuidlpressure supply, each of said cylinders having a rod-end with anaperture defined by rod-guiding means, each of said rodguiding meanscomprising a die;

(d) a pair of pistons respectively disposed in said chambers; and

(e) a pair of rods respectively secured to said pistons and respectivelyguided by said rod-guiding means and extendible outwardly of therespective cylinders, the outer end of each of said rods comprising apunch coactive with each other on opposite sides of a workpiece to alterits configuration and also coact-ive with said rod-guiding means of theother punch to further alter the configuration of the workpiece.

3. A punching unit comprising:

(a) a frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lower arm;

(b) an upwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of said upperarm and a downwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of saidlower arm, each disposed to be reacted on by a stationary outside means;

(c) a cylinder xedly secured in a stationary position to one of saidarms and having a chamber therein adapted to the connected to a fluidpressure supply;

(d) an axially hollow piston reciprocably dis-posed in said chamber andopening at one end into said chamber;

(e) an axially hollow rod secured to said piston and extendibleoutwardly of said cylinder, the outer end of said rod including anannular tool fluidly driven by said piston;

(f) a iixedly supported member secured to said one arm and disposedwithin said piston and rod and uidly sealing the interior of said rodfrom said chamber; and

(g) an annular tool supported by the other of said arms and coactivewith said iiuidly driven annular tool.

4. A punching unit comprising:

(a) a frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lower arm;

(b) an upwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of said upperarm and a downwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of saidlower arm, each disposed to be reacted on by a stationary outside means;

(c) a cylinder tixedly secured in a stationary position to one of saidarms and having a chamber therein adapted to be connected to a iiuidpressure supply;

(d) an axially hollow piston reciprocably disposed in said chamber andopening at one end into said chamber;

(e) an axially hollow rod secured to said piston and 5. A punching unitcomprising:

(a) .a frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lower arm;

(b) an upwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of said upperarm and a downwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of saidlower arm, each disposed to be reacted on by a stationary outside means;

(c) a pair of cylinders respectively xedly secured in stationarypositions to said arms, each of said cylinders having a chamber thereinadapted to be individually connected to a fluid pressure supply, each ofsaid cyl-inders having a rod-end with an aperture defined by rod-guidingmeans, each of said rodguiding means comprising an outer portion of anannular die;

(d) a pair of hollow pistons Irespectively disposed in said chambers andeach opening at one end into such chamber;

(e) a pair of axially hollow rods respectively secured to said pistonsand respectively guided by saidrodguiding means and extendible outwardlyof the respective cylinders, the outer end of each of said rodscomprising a punch coactive with each other on a workpiece and alsocoactive at its outer periphery with said rod-guiding means of the otherpunch, the inner periphery of each annular punch comprising a movabledie; and

(f) a pair of fixed guide means for said annular punches andrespectively secured to said arm and extending through said piston, -rodand cylinder of each frame arm and respectively fluidly sealing the,interior of said rods from said chambers, and each also comprising bothan inner portion of the annular die for the movable. punch and also alixed punch for lthe movable die.

6. A duid-operated punching unit comprising:

(a) a frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lower arm;

(b) an upwardly directed external surface comprising a rigid part ofsaid upper arm and a downwardly directed external surface comprising arigid part of said lower arm, each adapted to be engaged and to bereacted on by a stationary outside reaction means during application offluid pressure to preclude deection of said arms;

(c) a uid actuator operating head rigidly secured to one of said armsand disposed at a side opposite to said reaction surface thereof andadapted to reciprocably support and drive a first punching tool; and

(d) the other of said arms being adapted to support a second punchingtool, in a position to coact with said rst punching tool, on a sideopposite to said reaction surface thereof.

7. A fluid-operated punching unit comprising:

(a) a frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lower arm;

(b) an upwardly directed external surface comprising a rigid part ofsaid upper arm and a downwardly dfirected external surface comprising arigid part of said lower arm, each of said surfaces being adapted to beengaged and to be reacted on by a stationary outsidev reaction meansdur-ing application of fluid pressure to preclude deflection of saidarms; and

(c) a pair of fluid actuator operating heads respectively rigidlysecured to said arms and disposed at sides opposite to said reactionsurfaces thereof, and each of said heads reciprocably drivinglysupporting a punching tool coactive on a workpiece with the punchingtool of the other operating head to alter the configuration of theworkpiece in response to one stroke of said fluid actuators.

8. A punching unit comprising:

(a) a frame having a stationary upper arm and a stationary lower armdisposed in fixed spaced relation to each other;

(b) an upwardly directed surface comprising a rigid part of said upperarm and a downwardly directed `surface comprising a rigid part of saidlower arrn, each of said surfaces being disposed to be reacted on by astationary outside means;

(c) a punch tool and a die tool coactive with each other to alter theconfiguration of a workpiece;

(d) means for uidly driving and for movably supporting at Ileast one ofsa-id tools on one of said stationary arms; and

(e) means operative to support the other of said tools on the other ofsaid stationary arms in a predetermined position for coaction with saidone of said tools. I

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 670,721 3/1901Murphy 113-116 1,451,429 4/1923 Lontz 113-116 1,849,669 3/ 1932 Glasneret al. 113-42 1,884,708 10/1932 Jeneson 113-42 1,904,920 4/ 1933Hothersall 113-42 1,972,789 9/1934 Newkirk 18-19 2,253,003 8/1941Whipple l8-l6.5 XR 2,305,610 12/1942 Ernst 113-45 2,350,004 5/ 1944Whistler et al 113-42 2,481,232 9/ 1949 Moore 18-16.5 2,499,980 3/1950Stokes et al. 18-l6.7 2,556,475 6/1951 Kux 18-165 2,591,061 4/1952Gaudreau 113-42 2,795,981 7/ 1957 Sherill 7 8-42 2,941,428 6/ 1960Riggis et al. 78-42 2,942,695 6/ 1960 Butler 118-73 2,997,137 8/ 1961Hodkinson 118-73 WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

1. A PUNCHING UNIT COMPRISING: (A) A FRAME HAVING A STATIONARY UPPER ARMAND A STATIONARY LOWER ARM DISPOSED IN FIXED SPACED REATION TO EACHOTHER; (B) AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED SUFACE COMPRISING A RIGID PART OF SAIDUPPER ARM AND A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED SURFACE COMPRISING A RIGID PART OFSAID LOWER ARM EACH OF SAID SURFACES BEING DISPOSED TO BE REACTED ON BYA STATIONARY OUTSIDE MEANS; (C) A CYLINDER FIXEDLY SECURED TO ONE OFSAID ARMS AND HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO AFLUID PRESSURE SUPPLY; (D) A PISTON RECIPROCABLY DISPOSED IN SAIDCHAMBER;